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Champions for Nature

Cub Scouts · Adventure, Elective

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Champions for Nature helps you protect the planet. You'll learn which resources can be replaced and which can't, practice reduce, reuse, recycle, and see what happens to trash in your town. Then you'll help with a project that cares for nature.

Why it's worth it

Some things nature gives us grow back, like trees and crops. Others, like oil and coal, take millions of years to form. In Champions for Nature you'll learn the difference, practice reduce, reuse, and recycle, find out where your trash really goes, and help take care of a place outdoors. Small choices your family makes every week add up to a big difference.

Start this week

  1. Look around your kitchen with your adult and find one thing you could reuse instead of throwing away.
  2. Ask your grown-up where your trash and recycling go after the truck takes them.
  3. Ask your den leader if the den has a park cleanup or tree planting coming up.

Stay safe

  • Wear gloves for cleanups and let adults pick up broken glass, sharp metal, or needles.

Requirements · 4

Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).

  1. Requirement 1

    Learn how renewable and nonrenewable natural resources differ

    Tip: Talk with your adult about things that grow back, like trees, and things that don't, like oil.

    For example: Renewable resources can grow back or keep coming, like trees, sunlight, wind, and water. Nonrenewable resources run out, like oil, coal, and natural gas. Sort picture cards into two piles with your den.

  2. Requirement 2

    Learn about the 3 R's: reduce, reuse, recycle

    Tip: Try one idea for each R this week: use less, reuse a jar, and recycle a bottle.

    For example: Reduce: bring a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottles. Reuse: turn a jar into a pencil holder. Recycle: rinse a can and put it in the right bin. Try one of each this week.

  3. Requirement 3

    Find out what happens to garbage in your community

    Tip: Ask your adult where your trash goes, or visit or call your local recycling center or landfill.

    For example: Your trash goes in a truck to a landfill, where it's buried in layers. Recycling goes to a sorting center. Food scraps can go to compost. Ask your city's recycling office which ones your town has.

  4. Requirement 4

    Take part in a conservation project

    Tip: Join a park cleanup or tree planting with your den, wearing gloves and staying with adults.

    For example: Your den helps plant trees at a park, or picks up litter along a creek. Wear gloves, stay with your adult, and count how many bags you fill.

Places to visit

Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.

  • A recycling center or landfill education center

    You can see giant machines sort recycling or learn how a landfill keeps trash from polluting the ground.

    How: Have your den leader call your city or county solid waste office and ask about tours or a visit from a staff member.

Talk about it together

  • What surprised you about where your trash goes?
  • Which of the 3 R's is easiest for your family, and which is hardest?
  • What renewable resource do you use every day?
  • How did the place look after your den's project?
  • What is one change you could make at school to help nature?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Arrange a visit to a recycling center or invite a city waste worker to a meeting.
  • Pair the service project with a simple talk on what Tigers learned about the 3 R's.

People & places that can help

Pairs well with

Counts toward

More Tiger adventures

Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.